Council budgets are financial black holes – what's the point in voting? episode artwork

EPISODE · May 7, 2026 · 11 MIN

Council budgets are financial black holes – what's the point in voting?

from Reality Check

May local elections have finally arrived. As 5,066 seats are contested in local councils many are wondering whether there is any point in voting at all. These councils manage budgets worth hundreds of millions of pounds – budgets decided by national government. Given the amount of statutory spending on areas like SEND and care homes, there is very little room for change inside local government. Michael Simmons has the data.This episode is brought to you by Artemis Fund Managers, for more information on our fund range please click here https://www.artemisfunds.com/ .Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree to find out more.For more Spectator podcasts, go to spectator.co.uk/podcastsContact us: [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Council budgets are financial black holes – what's the point in voting?

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